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India's foreign minister says favourable US visa policy would be good for both

India's foreign minister, Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, said on Monday (31) a US visa policy that supported Indian talent would be beneficial for both countries.

A more knowledge-driven, global economy will require more trusted talent, which is an opportunity for India, Jaishankar told a virtual conference on relations between the two nations.


"That is an opportunity for India and it is an opportunity which should be reflected to some degree in American immigration policies," he said, adding that immigration was a "win-win" for both countries.

US president Donald Trump has this year restricted several categories of foreign work visas, blocking the flow of certain skilled Indian workers into the United States.

The suspension included H-1B visas for skilled workers, which are often used by the tech industry. Indians made up 72 per cent of the some 388,000 H-1B visa petitions approved in fiscal-year 2019, according to US Citizenship and Immigration Services data.

US vice president Mike Pence told the same conference later on Monday that the United States was working to fix its broken immigration system "once and for all" and the reforms would be based on a merit-based principle.

"We want people to come to this country that are ready to participate and ready to contribute as people from India have done and as people from the US have done in India," Pence said.

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11th UK Gatka Championship ends with Welsh debut and £1,000 support for Gatka Akharas

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  • The 11th UK National Gatka Championship was hosted near Cardiff, marking the first time in Wales.
  • Winners included Roop Kaur (girls), Navjot Singh (boys), and Gurdeep Singh (men’s).
  • Gatka Federation UK awarded £1,000 to each participating Akhara to support martial arts promotion.
  • Chief guests included MP Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi and Harjeet Singh Grewal, President of the World Gatka Federation.

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